Dortmund get the job done against Monaco and finish top of Group A

Manuel Veth –

Monaco v Dortmund saw the German visitors needing all three points and hope that Brugge would beat Atlético to secure first place in the group. Dortmund got the job done in Monaco and thanks to Atlético’s 0-0 draw against Brugge finish first in Group A.

Raphaël Guerreiro scores twice and wins the man of the match.

Dortmund cruised to victory.

BVB finish top of Group A.

Monaco v Dortmund

Goals: 0-1 (Raphaël Guerreiro, 15’), 0-2 (Guerreiro, 88’)

It was an energetic start by Borussia Dortmund, and in the 15′ minute, the Black and Yellows took the lead. Marcel Schmelzer won the ball on the left, passed the ball to the top of the box where Christian Pulisic spotted Achraf Hakimi‘s run into the box, and the wing-back then sent the ball across to Raphaël Guerreiro, who simply had to tap the ball home.

Dortmund remained the better side in the first half. Pressing Monaco deep in the attacking third the only downside to Dortmund’s game in the first 30 minutes was lack of consequence in finishing their attacks as Guerreiro should have finished the game in the 33′ minute. Following a freekick, the winger was given plenty of space inside the box but could not get the ball on target, and Abdou Diallo failed to put away the rebound from close range.

Wing-back Marcel Schmelzer then produced the next chance for Dortmund in the 38’ minute. Guerreiro played a lovely backheel pass to Schmelzer inside the penalty box, and the wing-back went one-v-one against goalkeeper Diego Benaglio, who was able to keep the ball out.

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As a result, Monaco were kept in the match and in the 41′ minute, Falcao almost had the equaliser. Given plenty of space on the edge of the box, the striker unleashed a shot from outside the box that whizzed just past the outside post of Marwin Hitz’s goal. It was the final chance of the first half as Dortmund carried a narrow lead into the second half.

Monaco then had their biggest opportunity up to that point right after the second half kickoff. In the 47′ minute, Youri Tielemans put in a corner from the left that found defender Kamil Glik unmarked inside the six-yard box but the defender managed to head the ball over the crossbar letting Dortmund off the hook.

The Black and Yellows reacted to that chance by trying to shut down Monaco. Circulating the ball in midfield Dortmund had the majority of the ball now while also testing and probing Monaco’s defence while at the same time lacking the intensity to truly achieve a breakthrough in the second half.

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Dortmund had their biggest opportunity of the second half in the 65′ minute. Maximilian Philipp was given to much room at the centre of the box, but his shot from the penalty box went wide over the goal.

Not that it really seemed to matter too much for Dortmund. After all, Monaco offered very little to threaten the Black and Yellows, and with a big game coming up against Werder Bremen on the weekend Dortmund seemed to be content with sitting back. Nonetheless, Dortmund would add a second in the final minutes of the game.

In the 88′ minute, Pulisic broke through on the left play a pass to the centre where Paco Alcacer extended the ball with his backheel to Guerreiro and the Portuguese national team player made no mistake scoring from close distance. It was a fantastic goal that capped off an efficient Dortmund performance in Monaco.

Monaco v Dortmund – Man of the Match

Guerreiro was the man of the match. The French-born Portuguese national team player had a fantastic night playing as a winger in the 4-2-3-1 formation scoring both goals to seal Dortmund’s victory. Guerreiro not only scored twice but he also managed to complete 95.1% of his 78 passes and completed two of his three crosses and won four out of his duels to cap off a great night.

Monaco v Dortmund – Raphael Guerreiro of Borussia Dortmund (13) celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League Group A match between AS Monaco and Borussia Dortmund at Stade Louis II on December 11, 2018, in Monaco, Monaco. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Monaco v Dortmund – Talking Point

Dortmund finish first thanks to Atlético’s 0-0 draw against Brugge in the parallel game. Finishing first will guarantee Dortmund a home game in the return leg of the round of 16 and also means that the Black and Yellows will avoid one of the big boys in the next round.

Monaco v Dortmund – Match Stats

Monaco used six different teenagers for this match.

Monaco have become the first team to fail to win a single group stage game in two consecutive seasons of the Champions League since Dinamo Zagreb in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

The win over Monaco was just Dortmund’s second win in 11 away European matches (D4 L5).

Manuel Veth is the owner and Editor in Chief of the Futbolgrad Network. He also works as a freelance journalist and among others works for the Bundesliga and Pro Soccer USA. He holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in History from King’s College London, and his thesis is titled: “Selling the People’s Game: Football’s transition from Communism to Capitalism in the Soviet Union and its Successor States,” which is available HERE. Originally from Munich, Manuel has lived in Amsterdam, Kyiv, Moscow, Tbilisi, London, and currently is located in Victoria BC, Canada. Follow Manuel on Twitter @ManuelVeth.